Tell me that when you're sober
by lightwoods
Summary: Jace and Alec try to find Valentines the night before the big day. When the quest is unsuccessful, who do they turn to? Jalec Jace/Alec Alec/Jace


Jace Wayland maliciously kicked over a statue of cupid. Tomorrow was Valentines Day and the streets were turning sickening shades of pink and red to celebrate. Pink balloons hanging from shop fronts, heart shaped chocolates being sold at every corner and of course, those irritating cupid statues that usually just happened to fall in the way of his feet. As the statue satisfyingly broke into pieces, Jace mused that this was his first year without a valentine since he was 11 years old. Due to his palpable good looks and unwavering charm, finding valentines were usually a simple task for him. Though this year, an unusually good-looking downworlder simply wasn't going to do.

Alec Lightwood was pacing his room at the institute. He fell into his old habit of pacing when he was nervous. Tomorrow was Valentines Day and he was finally going to do something. Hidden under his bed was a present Isabelle had convinced Alec into buying. He wasn't entirely sure about the gift, but Izzy insisted that it was a necessity. What was he going to say to Jace? He didn't even know why he was doing this; Jace would think it was stupid and laugh at him. This whole idea was stupid. Alec ducked under the bed so he could retrieve the present to dispose of it. Just as he caught a hold of it-

"What are you up to there, Alexander?" Alec heard an unmistakeable voice.

"Jace- I-"

Alec cursed as he smacked his head on the plank under the bed.

"Having fun there?" Jace smirked, watching on as Alec emerged from underneath the bed, ruffling his hair and dusting off his clothes.

"Yes- no- yes- what?" Alec stumbled, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his head.

"Okay, somebody hit their head a little too hard. I just wanted to see if you wanted to go out or something tonight?" Jace offered

"Yeah, um- sure sounds good." Alec smiled, sliding his hands in pockets in an attempt to look natural.

"In case you have missed the hideous décor New York has recently taken up, tomorrow is Valentines Day and I am yet to find a ridiculously lucky woman to '_be mine'_" Jace drawled, making quotation marks in the air with his fingers.

"I see"

"So, Alexander, my dear Parabatai, I feel it necessary to inform you that you are my wingman this evening. If my assistance is needed to help you land somebody, of course the roles can be reversed." He sighed shortly "Well, I'm off. Although it takes little to no effort to look as beautiful as I am, a shower is inevitable." Jace winked.

Of course. Jace wanted a Valentine. A _girl_ Valentine. Alec sighed and slumped onto his bed, knowing tonight was going to be punishing.

Alec looked away awkwardly and spun around on his barstool as a girl with a blue forked tongue tried to chat up Jace. They were at _Pandemonium, _a club where Downworlders danced until they were turned into gerbils. The girl's shrill laugh was piercing his ears.

"You're very pretty, you know." The girl smiled and leaned closer to Jace.

"Pretty? Usually I get heartbreakingly handsome or delectable eye candy." Jace stated, raising his eyebrows.

"But your friend here… he's even prettier. What's your name cutie?" The girl leaned sidewards to wink a heavily made-up eye at Alec.

"Me? Um- Hi. Jace-" Alec stuttered, looking wildly at Jace.

"Jace? But this one's called Jace."

"No- I- um-"

Jace rolled his eyes dramatically. "Alec. His name is Alec. And I can assure you, that even if you ripped off your clothes and threw yourself at him, he wouldn't be the slightest bit interested in anything you have to offer."

The faerie girl looked the parabatai up and down. "OH!" She exclaimed, and Alec jumped in his seat. "You two- together! Happy Valentines Day!" She laughed and ruffled Jace's hair as she walked away, still chortling.

Jace swivelled his bar stool back to face Alec, his features twisted into obvious confusion.

"Did she…" Jace cocked his head.

"I think she thought we were together" Alec went an alarming shade of red and clamped his mouth shut.

"No, I meant did she seriously say that you were prettier than me?" Jace asked.

Before Alec could respond a pair of large women approached them.

"So what are you two hotties doing alone at a bar the night before Valentines Day? Oh look. Two of us, and two of you! A little _too_ much of a coincidence I think!" Two werewolf women, and rather unattractive ones at that, leered at them.

Alec looked up in horror, and then glanced at Jace who was wearing his usual amused smirk. He glanced at Alec and then addressed the women in front of him.

"By the angel, can't a guy just enjoy a relaxing meal with his boyfriend? So rude, isn't it Alec?" Jace huffed, taking Alec's hand and drawing circles on it with his thumb.

Alec stared open mouthed at his hand, entwined with Jace's. His thumb leaving trails of fire all over the back of Alec's palm.

"I said _isn't it Alec_" Jace growled, kicking Alec under the bar.

"Sure. Yeah. Very. Rude. So rude. So very rude." Alec whimpered and Jace threw him a puzzled look.

"Oh right. We didn't know… sorry to bother you." The werewolf women looked embarrassed and trotted away quickly.

"I am so brilliant. Alec, this is the perfect way to reject girls. We are doing this all the time!" Jace beamed.

"Pretty clever." Alec agreed, trying not to draw attention to the fact that Jace hadn't let go of his hand yet.

"Okay! Now lets go find Valentines, and not the sadistic, baby mutilating kind." Jace said and let go of Alec's hand, much to his disappointment.

Unfortunately for Jace, the werewolf girls had spread the story of the "cute couple that wanted their alone time". Extremely disgruntled, Jace downed about half the bar and then forcing drink after drink upon Alec. The boys left the club about two hours later and the streets were empty as the tipsy pair started stumbling back towards the institute.

"I can't believe I couldn't find one girl in the whole of New York." Jace grumbled, stomping along the ground.

"Well you did convince the entire club we were a couple." Alec said, smiling slightly.

Jace chuckled. "I guess I did." He cleared his throat dramatically. "Well. Looking at the circumstances Alexander, I feel required to ask you a question." Jace extended his hand.

"And what's that?"

"Will you be my Valentine?"

Alec looked down and smiled before looking back up at Jace.

"Well?" Jace tapped his foot impatiently, still offering his hand out.

Alec reached out and clasped Jace's hand in his own. "Yes."

"Ah. The most beautiful word in the English language." Jace sighed.

Alec laughed. Even though he knew Jace was drunk and he was a little giddy himself, Alec was having the best Valentines Day Eve he had ever had. If only he could-

"Alec." Jace whispered in his ear, his lips brushing Alec's earlobe softly.

Alec swallowed loudly. "Yes?"

"Turn around." Jace breathed.

Alec did. And Jace was there, so close he could see the mixture of gold and brown flecks that made up his eyes. So close that Jace's eyelashes were brushing his own. So close that he could just tangle his fingers in Jace's hair and bring his face just that centimetre closer-

"Your eyes. They're blue-ti-ful. Get it?" Jace said and broke the spell before doubling over in laugher.

"Shh!" Alec whispered, trying not to laugh himself while pulling Jace up the last block to get them back home.

"Make me, Lightwood" Jace smiled lopsidedly and thew his arm out to the side.

Alec didn't stop to think, because if he did he knew he would stop himself. He jerked his arm back, making Jace slam into him. He reached up and curled his hand around the back of Jace's and drew it that last centimetre towards his face. Jace snaked his arm around Alec's back and pulled him in. They stood there, entwined in the cold for around 20 minutes, although Alec swore it was only 2. When Jace softly began to pull away, Alec clung to him, not wanting to let the moment go.

"What? Don't…" Alec mumbled, looking upset.

"Shh…" Jace smoothed back Alec's hair from his forehead and chuckled. "Come inside."

As Alec trotted after Jace he couldn't help but feel upset. Jace was drunk and probably wouldn't even remember this in the morning. Or even worse, he would remember and regret it for the rest of his life. They sneaked up the institute's winding corridors until they found Alec's room, covers neatly made with the soft moonlight shining upon the silver pillowcases.

Jace flopped down on the bed like a rag doll and beckoned Alec over to him.

"Care to join me, Valentine?" He said, eyes smouldering.

Alec didn't need to be told twice. If this was the only night he was going to get with Jace, he was going to spend every second savouring it. He walked up to the bed and hitched a leg over Jace's stomach.

"Well I think I can safely say that this is the best Valentine's Day Eve I have ever had." Jace announced.

"Jace." Alec's voice was thick. "You won't even remember any of this in the morning. Or you'll regret it."

"Don't be stupid. I want you, I want this." Jace replied.

"Yeah? Tell me that when you're sober"

Jace responded by tugging the front of Alec's shirt and drawing him closer, thus continuing what they were dong outside the institute just minutes beforehand.

Alec couldn't remember the last time he was this happy. Kissing Jace like this was everything he had ever wanted. The irony of it being so close to Valentines Day was astounding. He never wanted this moment to end, never wanted Jace to stop, never wanted-

"Alec? Are you home?" Izzy's voice sounded from outside the door.

"Uh- yeah." Alec said and slid off Jace. The two quickly tried to fix themselves up, straighten clothes, flatten hair, before Alec's door swung open and Isabelle was standing there with surprised look on her face.

"Oh. Hi Jace."

"Isabelle." Jace addressed her with a formal nod, before leaning into Alec's shoulder and collapsed into stiches again.

Alec attempted to keep a straight face. "Did you need anything, Iz?"

"I just wanted to tell you it's past midnight. Happy Valentine's Day." Isabelle looked pointedly under Alec's bed and back at him.

"Yes_, thank you_, Isabelle. Your knowledge of world time amazes me. Now if you don't mind…" Jace said, raising his eyebrows and pointing to the door.

"Right. Night." Isabelle smiled at Alec knowingly and closed the door behind her.

"Now. Where were we before your sister rudely interrupted us?"

This continued on until they were both so exhausted that the only thing Alec could do was wrap his arms around the boy who was his world, and fall asleep.

The sun streamed through Alec's window and almost directly into Jace's eyes on the morning of February 14th. He could feel Alec's arm like steel bars around him, never wanting to let him go. And he didn't particularly want to move either. Although his head throbbed, and memory of last night was a little foggy, he knew he had to tell Alec something.

"Alec." Jace said, trying to wake him up.

Alec groaned and pulled him tighter.

"Alec!" Jace tried again. 

"Mmm?"

"I'm sober." Jace stated.

"Great."

"And I still want you."


End file.
